Bean there, now done that
There’s a coffee wagon coming your way and soon they might even be popping up around the country, writes Mallory Munien
INNOVATION is not for the fainthearted as Ryan Solomon, 30, who is making a difference one cup of coffee at a time, knows all too well.
Solomon, his younger sister, Hayley, 24, and long-time friend Vincent Laycock, 27, have started a pop-up coffee initiative that is fast becoming the talk of the town.
Exploring Coffee is not a café around the corner; nor does it stay in one place. It’s a travelling initiative that strives to create a lifestyle change for the ordinary South African.
“The main aim is to empower the unemployed to gain skills in a trade, go on to start their own popup business and employ others, then empower them to do the same,” Solomon says.
Exploring Coffee has grown and developed barista Preston Kwazi, 24, says Solomon.
“We ‘found’ him on Gumtree and offered him a job. We sent him for training and now he is an amazing barista. Soon he will be entering some big competitions.”
Solomon and Laycock conceptualised Exploring Coffee about four years ago when they were travelling and working.
“We have wanted to do this for the longest time and finally did. Exploring Coffee has been operating for about two months.
“Starting out, we had to ask ourselves what could we do with our supply chain that would help ordinary people,” he said.
So the trio decided they would spend 75 percent of their budget, buying from micro enterprises, and a third of the profits would go towards the barista.
Solomon’s loyalty to and love of Durban reaches back to childhood when he grew up on the Berea.
He went to university but had to drop out because of a lack of finances. Soon afterwards, Solomon entered the world of work as a salesman and eventually went into engineering.
“I work in engineering by day, but the pop-up initiative is what I love to do. It doesn’t bring in enough income to live on right now,” he said.
Solomon says he finds the office environment difficult to lead a healthy lifestyle and it was the difficulties he faced in this regard that sparked the idea of the popup initiative.
“The team decided on coffee because it’s so universal, there’s a social and lifestyle aspect to it.”
The Exploring Coffee team uses a tuk-tuk to travel to venues, setting up shop in public areas and serving the passing trade.
The coffees are made using the finest coffee beans sourced from countries like Ethiopia and Uganda. No expense is spared in producing a quality finished cup.
The mode of transport is one that immediately captures the attention of people passing by.
“The tuk-tuk was actually bought locally. We wanted something different to market what we have to offer. We decided on a tuk-tuk after searching all over. We finally found an old Ola ice-cream tuk-tuk. The team worked on a design and we revamped the entire vehicle.
“The only setback is that it’s very slow, which makes it hard to travel long distances,” says Solomon.
Asked about the challenges encountered during the startup, Solomon says the greatest difficulty was that larger, wellknown businesses weren’t willing to let Exploring Coffee use their premises if they were not benefiting financially.
“Coming from a corporate environment, this has been a real eye-opener,” he says. “We need a place to trade from Monday to Friday, even an office park with road access. We want to be where the people are and be convenient for them.”
Their success has led the team to realise the business could be taken to new heights.
“It’s becoming apparent we need a store, where people can buy apparel and other merchandise. We want to collaborate with Durban artists and help them on the entrepreneurial front,” he says.
Solomon says the success of Exploring Coffee depends on the calibre of people on board.
“It’s important to have the right people involved. A lot of people let you down, particularly in business.”
Looking ahead, Solomon and the team plan a spectacular travel initiative that will span South Africa. “The public can follow us on Facebook to get regular updates on where we’ll be popping up next,” he says. Facebook/Twitter: Exploring Coffee; www.exploringcoffee.co.za e-mail: ryan@exploringcoffee. co.za; call Soloman at 071 356 3221.